Method of affixing conducting tap straps to a paper mounting strip



E. A. RANEY June 17, 1952 METHOD OF AF'FIXING CONDUCTING TAP STRAPS TO A PAPER MOUNTING STRIP Original Filed July 31, 1948 Inventor; Edwin A.Rane

His Attorney.

Patented June 17, 1952 METHOD OF AFFIXING l CONDUCTING" TAP STRAPS TO A PAPER MOUNTING STRIP Edwin A. Raney," Pittsfield, Ma'ssn. assignor to General .Electricxl-Companyl a corporation M1 New, York Original application July ;-31, 1948," Serial No? 41,804. Divided and this application Septem her 17, 1949, SerialNo. 116346 1 Claim. 1

My invention relateszto: a method fonaffixing or: attaching plurality of strips. of material, at spaced and equal intervals, to anotherstrip of material. More particularly my invention relates to transversely affixing a plurality of conducting. tap straps, employed as terminals in electric condensers, atlspaced and equal intervals to a strip of mounting material such as a longitudinal strip ofinsulating paper: which combination was disclosed in a copendinggpplication for Capacitors including. Method and Apparatus for Tap Strap. Insertion Therein, Serial. No. 18,104, filed March 31, 1948, now Patent No. 2,547,644, and assigned to the same assignee as. the instant application; This .applicationis a division of. co.- pending application entitled Apparatus for Affixing. Conducting Tap Straps to a Paper MountingStrip, Serial No. 41,804, filed July 31', 1948, andassigned to the same assignee as the instant application.

To ,be employed in, the manner disclosed in .the aforementioned copending app1ication,.Serial No. 18,104, .now Patent No. 2,547,644, the longitudinal strip-of insulating paper must have the conducting tap straps affixed thereto not only at spaced-and. equal intervals buta portion. of each tap. strapv must extend a predetermined distance laterally beyond a longitudinal edge of the mounting strip approximately equal to the distanceit is desired to have thetap straps project out :ofythe finished condenser roll. Also, since the longitudinal edges ofthemounting strip'are eventually aligned withthe. longitudinal edges of the. dielectric material. between the conducting foils in the finished, condenser, each tap strap must obviously be affixed at an angle with respect: to the longitudinal edges of the mounting stripcommensurate with the desired angle of projection from the finished roll. Moreover, since each tap strap is intended to eventually be iIlsgODdelGCtlfiG contact with a conducting foil or plate within a rolled condenser it is important that an entire surface thereof be free. of any contamination or form of insulating material. Finally, to comply with economic demands itis imperative that a supply roll of mounting mate-j riahwithconducting tap straps affixed theretobe quickly and automatically: prepared in acccrdance with the desired requlsites' as: hereinbefore indicated:

It is therefore an objectof my; invention to provide armethod for affixing, at spaced and equal intervals a pluralityof conducting tap'straps to a mounting strip. of insulating: material.

It is alsdan object-ofmy invention cc-provide a methodrfor automatically aifixing such-tap straps, fromia longitudinal supply strip ofconductingimaterial, to. a supply strip of insulating mounting material;

My inventionwill be better understood from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing the single figure of which perspectively and diagrammatically illustrates an apparatus embodying: my invention, thescope of which will be pointed out in the appended claim.-

In the accompanying drawing, 10 represents a supply roll oflinsulating. mounting material rotatably mounted on spindle or shaft II which in turn is supported by a stationary framework, not illustrated-in the interestof simplicity. As supply. roll- 10 is unwound, by drive means tobe described hereinafter, the longitudinal strip of mounting material [2 therefrom is directed toward theright in the direction of the arrow and during this rightward passage passes over and is temporarily supported onwsupport platform [3 also rigidly supported by the stationary frame; work.

A supplystrip. of conducting-material l4 is-fed from a supply roll or reel I5 over tension pulley l6 and under guide I'I inthe direction of. the arrow toward and. transversely over the platform 13 and the .longitudinalsupply strip of mounting materiallZ. The lower, or the. surface of the conducting. strip 14. adjacent the platform, has been previously coated with a thermQ-settingadhesive material; To feed the conducting strip [4 transversely toward themounting strip, I employ feed means comprising a pairof cooperating-feed rolls l8 and 19 fixedly mounted on shafts 2i] and 21' respectively which are positively interconnected by spur gears 22 and 23 respectively. Shaft 20 is'driven counterclockwise, as viewed, by bevel gear set 24 and shaft'25 which is in turn intermittently driven by a conventional Geneva motion comprising an escapement disk 26 keyed on the end of shaft'25 and a constantly rotated escapement pin '21 mounted on an arm 28 keyed to drive shaft '29 which is constantly driven counterclockwise 'by' a pulley or chain sprocket mounted thereon but not'show'n which in turn. may be driven by a belt or chain from a motor. neither of which are illustrated. Escapement disk 26. may have a number of radial recesses or notches. 30 inits periphery, in this case four. Escapement pin 2! is adapted to enter tandexit fromrecesses 30 as driveshaft'29 rotates-to impart intermittent rotation to shafts 3 and 29 and conducting strip feed rolls I8 and I9.

Between feed rolls I8 and I9 and platform I3 at a predetermined distance therefrom and the adjacent longitudinal edge of mounting strip I2 is supported a conducting strip severing means or knife comprising a die and strip support 3| rigidly fixed to the apparatus framework and punch or knife housing 32 slidably mounted for vertical movement at the rear, but not shown, on the framework. The forward lower end 33 of housing 32 is formed or machined to a knife edge the purpose of which will be explained hereinafter. Conducting strip holding element 34 is mounted for vertical movement within housing 32, biased downward by a spring therein and aligned for engagement with die slot 35 which has a width and is so aligned as to slidably accommodate conducting strip I4 as it is fed toward mounting strip I2. The downward travel of holding element 34 under its spring bias is limited by the engagement of a pin 36 afiixed thereto with the lower edge of a slot 3! in the side wall of knife housing 32. Normally, holding element 34 is biased out of engagement with die slot 35 by spring 38 interposed between plate extension 39, fixed to housing 32, and the framework. Upward thrust of spring 38 is resisted by the engagement of top plate 40, suitably fixed to housing 32, with the rounded end of an adjustment screw 4I threadedly mounted in a beam or lever 42 rotatably pivoted on pivot pin 43 fixedly mounted on the apparatus framework. Clockwise rotation thus imposed by spring 38 on lever 42 is resisted by engagement of the opposite end thereof with the contact surface of a cam 44 mounted on shaft 45. Cam 44 and shaft 45 are rotated by sprocket 46, chain 4! and sprocket 48 keyed to shaft 49 which is positively driven by drive shaft 29 through spur gear set 50. Top plate 40 is provided with an overhanging extension containing a pair of spaced openings which serves to slidably accommodate a pair of vertical rods 5| each of which has an adjustment nut 52 threaded on the upper end thereof. Vertical rods 5| extend downwardly respectively through a pair of spaced openings, having a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the rods, in horizontal guide plate 53 fixed to the side wall of housing 32. At the lower ends of vertical rods 5| is fixedly mounted a combination tamper and heater block 54 containing an electrical heating element energized by circuit conductors 55. Normally, tamper and heater block 54 is biased in a downward direction by a pair of coil springs 56 respectively mounted around the vertical rods 5| and interposed between collars 5I integral therewith and the overhanging extension of housing top plate 40. Normally, the lowermost position of block 54 under the biasing action of springs 56 is limited and controlled by the position of nuts 52 on the threaded upper ends of rods 5|.

Longitudinal mounting strip I2 is continuously unrolled from supply roll I!) by a pair of feed rolls 58 and 59- between which the mounting strip is directed in its travel toward support platform I3. Roll 58 is an idler roll the shaft 69 of which is biased downwardly by springs 6| so that the mounting strip I2 is pulled frictionally between rolls 58 and 59. Roll 59 is mounted on rotatable shaft 62 on an extension of which is keyed a sprocket wheel 63 which is driven by drive shaft 29 through spur gear set 59, shaft 49, sprocket 64, mounted thereon and chain 65 interconnecting continuously rewound as indicated at 66 representing a partially rewound reel of mounting material in rolling engagement with friction roll 61 keyed to shaft 68 which is also driven by drive shaft 29 through spur gear set 50, shaft 49, sprocket 69 heyed thereto, chain I0 and sprocket II keyed to shaft 68. Mounting strip I2 is rewound on a core sleeve mounted on reel up shaft I2 which is supported on a pair of radius arms I3 which are'in turn pivotally mounted on the apparatus framework. The mounting of shaft F2 on the pivoted radius arms results in constant rolling engagement of the reel being rewound with friction drive roll 61 regardless Of the amount of mounting material that has been rewound into a finished reel.

In its travel from support platform I3 toward friction roll 61, mounting strip I2 is directed between another pair of feed rolls I4 and I5. Roll (4 is an idler roll the shaft I6 of which is biased downwardly by springs 17 so that the mountin strip I2 is pulled frictionally between rolls I4 and 75. However, since drive feed roll 15 is mounted on intermittently driven shaft 25, the mounting strip will only be moved intermittently by this pair of feed rolls, although it is continuously unwound from supply roll I9 and rewound, once the apparatus has been started. Feed rolls l4 and i5, escapement disk 26 and the radius arm of pin 21 are so proportioned and related to the balance of the apparatus, hereinbefore described, that rotation of roll I5, while pin 21 is in engagement with a slot 39, feeds mounting strip I2 toward friction roll 6! at a much greater linear speed than it is being wound thereby on reel 55. Thereafter, when pin 21 becomes disengaged from a slot 39 in disk 26, there is no further movement of rolls I4 and 15 nor of mounting strip I2 over platform I3 for a momentary period during which pin 2! is making a part of a revolution before engaging with the next adjacent slot in disk 26 and friction roll 5! is rewinding the excess mounting strip pre viously and quickly fed forward by the feed rolls l4 and I5. During this momentary period, continuous rotation of feed rolls 58 and 59 unwinds an excess of mounting material from supply roll In which excess is quickly taken up by the next increment of rotation of feed rolls I4 and I5. Excess mounting material unwound from supply roll I0 during the momentary period when feed rolls I4 and I5 are stationary and excess mounting material fed forward by rotation of these rolls is controlled and tension is maintained therein by rolls I8 each pivotally mounted on a pair of radius arms I9 pivotally mounted on the apparatus framework.

Between tension rolls I8, are positioned a number of spaced idler rolls which serve to guide mounting strip I2 in its travel from feed rolls 58 and 59 to friction roll 61. v

To operate my apparatus hereinbefore described, an end of mounting strip I2 is first manually fed between feed rolls 58 and 59 pulled over support platform I3, between guide rolls 8!] and feed rolls I4 and I5 as shown and attached to the core sleeve on shaft I2 and an end of conducting strip I4 is manually directed between conducting strip feed rolls I8 and I9. Then the drive motor, not shown, which turns drive shaft 29 is started. Thereafter, all the steps of my invention are executed automatically. Mounting strip feed rolls I4 and I5 quickly pull mounting strip I2 over platform I3 from an excess previously unwound by feed rolls 58 and 53 off of supply roll I0. Simultaneously conducting strip feed rolls I8 and I3 rotate to feed the conducting supply strip through the die slot 3| toward and transversely over mounting strip I2. Thereafter, pin 21 on arm 28 becomes disengaged from a slot 30 in escapement disk 26 to momentarily stop both the movement of mounting strip I2 over platform I3 and the feed of conducting strip I4 thereover. The various elements of the apparatus are interconnected as hereinbefore described and so synchronized that during this momentary period the periphery portion SI of rotating cam 44, having the greatest radius, begins to roll into engagement with the beam 42 turning it counterclockwise about its pivot 43 to force housing 32 downwardly against the upward bias of spring 38 and the lower end of holding element 34 into die slot 35 and engagement with conducting strip I4. Since tamper and heater block 54 is supported through rods 5I and nuts 52 on top plate fixed to housing 32, this downward motion also lowers block 54 into engagement with the conducting strip I4 previously fed over mounting strip I2. Inasmuch as block 54 is hot by virtue of the heating element therein, this engagement between block and conducting strip soften the thermo-setting adhesive coating on the under-surface thereof. Additional rotation of cam 44 results in further downward and slidable motion of housing 32 relative to holding element 34, which having engaged stationary die slot 35 and strip I4 remains stationary, whereby the knife edge 33 of housing 32 passes through and severs conducting strip I4. Obviously, this additional downward movement of housing 32 is not only against the biasing action of spring 36 but also against the biasing action of the hold ing element spring Within the housing whereby additional holding pressure is imposed on the strip I4 during the severing thereof, since block 54 has already been lowered into contact with the conducting strip I4 prior to the severing thereof. This additional downward movement of housing 32 also lowers guide plate 53 and top plate 40 relative to block support rods 5| to compress springs 56 whereby block 54 imposes considerable pressure on the severed conducting strip to affix it firmly, by the softened thermosetting adhesive material to the mounting strip.

Thereafter, the constant rotation of shaft 43 and cam 44 driven thereby will permit clockwise rotation of beam 42 and upward motion of housing 32 and block 54 subsequent to which feed rolls I4 and I5 will be rotated another increment to advance mounting strip I2, and conducting strip feed rolls I8 and I3 will be simultaneously rotated to feed another portion of the conduct- 6 ing strip I4 transversely over the mounting strip.

Thus, I have provided a method whereby a conducting tap strap 82 having a predetermined portion projecting beyond or exterior a longitudinal edge of a strip of mounting material, equivalent to the distance therefrom to a severing means, is automatically afiixed to the mounting strip at spaced and equal intervals thereon. It will be apparent that the angle between the tap straps and a longitudinal edge of the mounting strip may be controlled by changing the direction of feed of conducting strip I4 with respect to the direction of movement of the mounting strip and the projecting portion of the tap strap including projection beyond both longitudinal edges of the mounting strip may be changed by obvious modification in the elements of the apparatus.

While I have, in accordance with the patent statutes, described a particular method of operation for carrying out my invention; other changes will be obvious to those skilled in the art, and I, therefore, aim in the appended claim to cover all such changes as fall within the true spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

The method of affixing a conducting tap strap to a moving supply strip of mountin material at spaced and equal intervals thereon from a supply strip of conducting material, one of said strips having adhesive material applied to a surface thereof, which comprises the steps of feeding the end of said conducting strip toward and transversely over said mounting strip so that the surface of one of said strips having adhesive applied thereto Will be adjacent to said other strip, stopping the feed of said conducting strip, simultaneously stopping the movement of said mount ing strip, pressing the portion of said conducting strip moved transversely over said mounting strip against said strip of mounting material and then transversely severing said conducting strip while both of said strips are stopped, at a predetermined distance exterior of a longitudinal edge of said mounting strip.

EDWIN A. RANEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,088,533 Cameron Feb. 24, 1914 2,120,120 Wells June 7, 1938 2,320,092 Miller May 25, 1943 2,511,559 Banff et a1 June 13, 1950 

